Other editions of book 20th Century Passage To India

In this hard-hitting novel, first published in 1924, the murky personal relationship between an Englishwoman and an Indian doctor mirrors the troubled politics of colonialism. Adela Quested and her fellow British travelers, eager to experience the "real" India, develop a friendship with the urbane Dr. Aziz. While on a group outing, Adela and Dr. Aziz visit the Marabar caves together. As they emerge, Adela accuses the doctor of assaulting her. While Adela never actually claims she was raped, the decisions she makes ostracize her from both her countrymen and the natives, setting off a complex chain of events that forever changes the lives of all involved. This intense and moving story asks the listener serious questions about preconceptions regarding race, sex, religion, and truth. A political and philosophical masterpiece, this engrossing novel is also exotic and descriptive, making it exceptionally well suited to audio.

E. M. Forster's exquisitely observed novel about the clash of cultures and the consequences of perception, set in colonial India Among the greatest novels of the twentieth century and the basis for director David Lean’s Academy Award–winning film, A Passage to India unravels the growing racial tension between Indians, uneasy at best with colonial power, and the British, largely ignorant and dismissive of the society they're infiltrating. A sudden moment of confusion results in a devastating series of events that threatens to ruin a man's life, revealing just how deeply—and swiftly—prejudice has taken root.

Just below the surface of everyday life crouches the menace of misunderstanding. A common one springs up, then explodes into a destructive affair as cultures clash in turn-of-the-century British India. Delicate crafting, delicious prose and a biting irony help tell this classic tale, ranked among the greatest novels of the century. "The crystal clear portraiture, the delicate conveying of nuances of thought and life, and the astonishing command of the medium show Mr. Forster at the height of his powers." (The New York Times)